The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has condemned all forms of gender-based violence, especially against women in the nation.
Obi gave the condemnation in a statement on Saturday to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
According to him, while every form of violence against any Nigerian deserves to be condemned, gender-based violence against women must not be given a place or allowed to continue.
He added that violence against women can be eliminated by empowering Nigerian women to take their rightful place in society and contribute to the collective development of the nation.
The LP flagbearer noted that the menace could be stopped by giving Nigerian women access to education and healthcare, which are most critical to national development.
He said: “Today, the global community marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and I join my voice with that of all lovers of peace and a violent-free society to speak out against all forms of gender-based violence, especially against women in our nation.
“While every form of violence against any Nigerian deserves to be condemned, gender-based violence against women must not be given a place among us. The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reports that 1 in 3 Nigerian women have experienced physical violence by age 15 (NDHS 2013).
“According to a 2019 survey by the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, 30% of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, while a shocking 68% have encountered emotional, economic, or sexual abuse.
This ugly trend of violence must not be allowed to continue. Reports also show that women are critical players in our politics as they contribute significantly to the voting number but are often hampered by violence, which can only be eliminated by playing by the rules of the law guiding the game.
“Violence against women can be eliminated by empowering Nigerian women to take their rightful place in society and contribute to our collective development as a nation. This we can do by giving them access to education and healthcare, which are most critical to national development.
“To build the New Nigeria of our dreams, completely abhorrent of violence against women, we must understand that development is not gender-based, and we all, men and women, must unite in love to move our nation forward.”